Bread that Endures for Life

Last week we stopped reading from the Gospel of St. Mark and we have switched to the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John for five weeks. Therefore we are planning to spend some significant time focusing our attention on John Chapter 6, which is a very important gospel for our faith, because it focuses directly on the mystery of the Eucharist. So then, last we started chapter 6 by reading about the marvelous sign of the loaves and fishes, when 5 loaves and 2 fish were sufficient to feed and satisfy the multitude of 5,000 men.

Jesus started this chapter with the sign of bread, because he was preparing his disciples for a sign that would be far greater than any of the other signs or wonders they had already experienced. For they truly had experienced many wonderful things at the hands of Jesus. The sick were healed. The lepers were cured. Demons were driven out. And a little girl was raised back to life. Jesus even walked on water. Having experienced these many signs and wonders the crowds continued to seek and follow Jesus, but not so much to encounter who Jesus truly is, but more so to see his signs and wonders, to hear his words, and to meet this prophet or great teacher. They found the signs, but they did not find Him, whom those signs signified. That is our Lord Jesus Christ, the son of man and the Son of God, the Divine Messiah who came to bring salvation for all the world.

So then, it was the time of the Passover, the festival of the Jews, that great commemoration of a meal of roasted lamb and unleavened bread, when the Lord our God drew Israel out of their slavery in Egypt. But for Jesus this was a time for a new Passover, when he had the crowds recline to eat and he took bread and after having gave thanks to God, he broke them and distributed among those who were seated. And the crowds were satisfied with the bread that our Lord had given them.

But were they satisfied? Is seems to not be the case, because today the second part of the John Chapter 6 shows the crowds once more seeking a sign from Jesus. They had totally missed the purpose of the bread that they had received and had eaten and been satisfied.

And so Jesus told them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” The crowds were fed with a marvelous sign, that is to say, with the multiplied bread. They saw the marvelous signs and wonders, but they could not see Him, whom those signs signified.

They could not see Christ, and how He was going to offer His very self as a the bread of life. Those who were unbelieving were still seeking another sign. “So the crowds said to Jesus, ‘What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written: He gave them bread form heaven to eat.” “So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father givs you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” !!! It’s who? !!!! It’s the one who comes down from heaven, he who came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate fo the Virgin Mary, and became man.

Today our Lord invites us to believe in Him. To look beyond the signs and the wonders. An to see, Him who those signs signify. To He who came down from heaven and gives His life to the world. And whenever we ask Jesus for this bread of Life, He will answer us saying, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Our Lord desires to feed us with the bread of angels. And this bread is his flesh and his blood offered for us…yes, at the moment of His Paschal Mystery, but also each and every time that we come here to the church.

“Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of the blessed Passion, the Resurrection from the dead, and the glorious Ascension into heaven of Christ, your Son, our Lord, we, your servants and your holy people, offer to your glorious majesty from the gifts that you have given us, this pure victim, this holy victim, this spotless victim, the holy Bread of eternal life and the Chalice of everlasting salvation."

St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish of the
Diocese of Boise,
committed to living the Catholic life and spreading the Gospel.